Cricket Australia (CA) has revealed the schedule for the 2025-26 men’s Ashes Test series against England, with Perth’s Optus Stadium to host its first such encounter in a move that means Brisbane will not open the series for the first time in over four decades.
CA today (Wednesday) announced the Ashes dates at an event in Perth, with the first fixture, rebranded as the ‘West Test’ set to take place at Optus Stadium on November 21-25, 2025. A day-night Brisbane Test will then follow at the Gabba (December 4-8) before the Christmas Test at Adelaide Oval (December 17-21).
Melbourne’s Boxing Day Test (December 26-30) and Sydney’s New Year’s Test (January 4-8) take up their traditional timeslots in what is an otherwise overhauled schedule for a men’s Ashes series. Today’s announcement comes on the back of CA’s seven-year scheduling plan revealed in August, which aims to create greater certainty around fixturing and help grow matches and cricket-related events in partnership with governments and their events and tourism departments.
CA said the Ashes dates have been released earlier than usual to allow those coming from overseas or interstate to plan their itineraries. Joel Morrison, CA executive general manager of events and operations, added: “Beginning with the West Test at Perth Stadium, the 2025-26 Ashes dates align with our recently released seven-year international schedule and we are grateful for the support state and territory governments are providing to enhance and grow our major events.
“The history and excitement of the Ashes make it one of world’s most iconic sporting events and we are delighted this fierce and electrifying rivalry will extend over two summers in 2025 – commencing with CommBank Women’s Ashes this summer, which includes the historic MCG day-night Test, and culminates in the Men’s Ashes next summer.
“We have been inundated with requests from fans around the world wanting to travel to Australia and attend the 2025-26 Ashes series and we urge everyone to register with the Australian Cricket Family for priority access to tickets or visit the CA Travel Office to book in their travel.”
Optus Stadium was due to host the fifth Test of the COVID-affected 2020-21 Ashes series, only for Hobart’s Bellerive Oval needing to step in due to pandemic-related restrictions in Western Australia. Today’s announcement also means that an Australian home Ashes series will open outside of Brisbane for the first time since 1982, when Perth was again the destination at the historic WACA ground.
Rita Saffioti, WA Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, said today: “Western Australia has a long and incredibly proud cricketing history, so we’re very excited to be hosting the opening Ashes Test match in November 2025 at our award-winning Perth Stadium.
“The United Kingdom has consistently been WA’s top visitor market and with the direct flight between London and Perth operating all year-round, it’s even easier for the cricket-mad English to escape their winter, and head to Australia for an incredible summer of cricket, starting here in Perth.”
Meanwhile, the Adelaide Oval, the traditional home of day-night Tests in Australia, will now stage a day game as the third Test, as part of joint thinking between South Australia’s government and CA to grant a more favourable holiday calendar slot.
This means the Gabba will now host the day-night game as the second Test. The Gabba has only agreed a two-year deal to host Test matches, with CA stating in August that discussions about future international cricket are ongoing amid doubts over its status as a long-term Test venue.
The Gabba had initially been set for a major redevelopment ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, but these plans were scrapped in March in favour of a more “modest” enhancement of the stadium.
